The Path of the Warrior
by Torankusu
Summary: What happened to Vegeta in the last minutes of the Cell Game? What made him realize what he had to do?


The Path of the Warrior  
a Dragon Ball Vignette  
by Torankusu Senshi  
  
I stand on the top of a small mountain, watching the duel of wills between Son Gohan and Cell quietly. The power being thrown around down there, even the excess, much less the center of the whirlwind, is beyond my imagination. I never in my life dreamed that any mere mortal could posess such power. Much less a saiyajin of my own race. And adding insult to injury, that being with that power is the halfbreed son of a third class warrior. The son of my rival is down there, doing what I could not.  
  
I could not defeat Cell. Much as I would love to, I know that his power is far greater than mine. Far greater than anything I could ever hope to posess, indeed. I have no clue how Son Gohan manages to do it. His power is so great, it's hard for me to even grasp the enormity of it by sensing it. This is ridiculous, no living being should be this strong. No living being such be this much stronger than me.   
  
I failed. I was able to defeat Cell in his semi-perfect body, but that was useless. Defeating an opponent who has no real chance to fight back, with a handicap like that, was dishonorable. When Cell attained his perfect form, he defeated me soundly. And now, even when I tried to avenge the death of my son, Trunks, he brushed my attack to the side carelessly, as if I, the Saiyajin elite, Vegeta no Ouji, was a mere child's toy. I was helpless, and had to be rescued by Son Gohan, of all people. Because of me, Gohan had lost the use of an entire arm. Because of me, we are all probably doomed to die here and now.   
  
Because of me.  
  
Kakarotto is gone. My rival, the only one who understood me, the one I had to surpass at all costs....is dead. Gone simply, an indirect effect of my earlier actions with semi-perfect Cell. Had I known it would come to this, I would have handled things differently.   
  
I am a fool.  
  
I have disgraced the name of all saiyajin. I have entrusted our fate to a halfbreed. Super Saiyajin or not, I have failed, been defeated.   
  
As I wallow in my own self-pity, I sense the ki of someone rocketing onto the battlefield before me. Piccolo? That damned crazy Namekseijin. What in hell does he think he is doing? If I, Vegeta no Ouji, could not touch Cell, than that thrice damned Namekseijin has little chance at it. Cell will, in all likelihood, not even take notice of the attack. Fool. And to think, I once thought that Namekseijin a smarter fellow than that. One would think that an ex-god would be smarter than to attack a foe such as Cell.  
  
The Namekseijin falls, and rises again. He says something I cannot overhear, and launches another attack at Cell. Persistent little bastard, he was. At that moment, I feel three other ki's flying past me. The humans. Them, too? What was this? Everyone coming down with a case of idiocy in their last moments?  
  
I watch queitly as the warriors gathered around Cell fall, and rise again. They continue their futile attacks, doing really nothing to help Gohan. Normally, I would laugh at their ignorance, but at the moment, I can't. I understand them, for once. They are tired of sitting by and letting their fate be protected by the hands of others. They are all sick of being spectators of this match. They will fight to protect their destiny. More than I can say for myself. And then, something amazing happened. As if in response to the suffering of his companions, Son Gohan exploded in even more power than that surrounded him already, and all of a sudden, Cell was the one of the defensive.  
  
So......they were going to stand with Gohan, then?  
  
Should I also stand?  
  
I couldn't do anything to harm Cell before. I was useless. But the fools in front of me are even more so, and here they fight, while I mope over my fate. I truly have disgraced the saiyajin, if this is what it has come down to. I look back to Gohan, the picture of a righteous fury. If this young halfbreed, this CHILD, can stand against Cell, then so can I, regardless of my power. For Kakarotto......  
  
I stop a moment, wondering where that thought came from. Kakarotto was my rival. I was never destined to do anything with him besides kill him. But somehow, in the course of the last few years, that all changed. Kakartto became more than a rival, more than a mere third class saiyajin peasant. That dim-witted, pure hearted saiyajin had become....  
  
My friend.  
  
The only regret I have about this is that I did not realize it sooner. To not stand now, to let Kakarotto's son die in vain, would be to disgrace the memory of Kakarotto. That, I will not allow. He was a great man, and, third class or not, was the epitomy of what saiyajins aim to be. For him. For my other, Bulma, who I have grown to care for more than I ever thought possible. For my son Trunks, so that he will grow up in a future safer than his counterpart. For Gohan, so that I can repay him for being the hindrance I have been.   
  
But most of all, for Cell.  
  
I am the last pure blooded saiyajin left in this universe. I represent all those born and bred on Vegetasei. I will rise to the occasion, as I should have minutes ago. I will show Cell that the saiyajin are not opponents to be taken lightly. I will avenge Kakarotto, and my son. I force myself back into the form of Super Saiyajin, and launch from my cliff face to make my final stand with the others, my other friends. Destiny is a funny thing.  
  
I am the saiyajin prince, Vegeta no Ouji.  
  
Here I come, Cell. 


End file.
